My research aims to investigate in detail effects of drugs which specifically inhibit the development of Plasmodium berghei while having no toxic effect on the host. In particular we want to understand the mechanism of action of these drugs in the hope of exposing more chemotherapeutic targets. Some of the drugs under investigation are known to interfere specifically with protein synthesis or with DNA synthesis. The mode of their interaction with the parasite synthetic systems and the mechanism by which this interaction specifically inhibits the parasite enzymes and discriminates against the host enzyme is under investigation. Compounds under investigation are: Arabinosyl-adenine which inhibits development of malaria primarily protein synthesis and is non-toxic to the host; 2', 3' dideoxythymidine which inhibits malarial development, its primary action being on DNA synthesis; a pyrimidine analog, 2,-4 dihydroxypyrimidine which specifically affects DNA synthesis in the parasite.